• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.327-334
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate Korean workers' work ability and to identify its contributing factors. Background: In order for Korea to overcome the phenomena of becoming an aged society, older adults must participate in the workforce to balance out the population; workers' work ability must also be maintained. In addition, influential factors in employees' capabilities and degrees of importance thereof should be identified in advance to maintain work ability. Method: The Work Ability Index (WAI) questionnaire was completed by 5,708 Korean workers. Survey questionnaire consisted items of current work ability, physical and mental demands of the job, numbers of diseases, work impairment due to diseases, sick leaves, work ability in 2 years and mental resources. Results: Results indicated that work ability and length of service increased with age. It was also found that employees in administrative positions had greater work ability than site workers, workers directly managed by a supervisor had greater work ability than workers in cooperative firms, and workers who performed intellectual tasks had greater work ability than workers who performed physical labor. Job stress was additionally observed to contribute towards overall work ability. And musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were found to negatively affect work ability. Conclusion: The strongest determining factors in the work ability of Korean workers were stress level and mental state. Therefore, when the WAI is used to assess Korean workers, the weighting of WAI items pertaining to physical and mental abilities should be adjusted accordingly to account for these factors. Application: The result is expected to suggest that workers maintain work ability in an aged society.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.423-432
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• 2014

Objective and Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of individual characteristics, work-related factors, lifestyle factors, and health problems with work ability among aging workers in Korea. Method: In this cross-sectional survey, the study population consisted of 1,594 workers who had participated in a voluntary health promotion center and private workplace. Participants completed the work ability index. Results: The mean WAI score was 37.4, while the mean age of the sample was 43.25. In the age group over 50 showed 36.26. The majority of participants rated their work ability as 'good' to 'excellent', one-third moderate and about 7.5% poor. Work ability decreased significantly with age among the men. The younger group had higher scores on the work ability index than the age group over 50, except for mental resources. By work characteristics, work ability was analyzed to be the lowest in the case of work handling heavy stuff. Lastly, as a result of health factors analysis, the good management and retention of current health status can be the measure helpful to the improvement of work ability. Conclusion and Application: According to the results, it can be a basic principle to devise and enforce preventive measures on the factors for which improvement or action is possible, together with workplace-level systematic approach, in order to improve work ability. For such measures to be realized, it is necessary to check trends in change for several years.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.9-14
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• 2008

Work ability and job stress have become the important issues in Korea workplace recently. This study researched work ability and job stress and analyzed correlation with work ability and job stress using the Work Ability Index(WAI) and the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire against 152 doctors. The results of this study show that the work ability in doctors was good in general. The work ability and the job stress according to major show statistical significance. The relation between job stress and disease showed statistical significance in musculoskeletal disorders, heart disease, and metabolic disease. The correlations between work ability and job stress showed statistical significance in job demand and job control. This study can be utilized to improve the job ability and prevent some disease from the job stress of doctors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.85-89
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• 2008

Work ability and job stress have become the important issues in Korean workplace recently. This study researched work ability and job stress and also analyzed correlation with work ability and job stress using the Work Ability Index and the Karasek's Job Content Questionnaire against 742 subway workers. As the results, Work ability in subway workers was good in general. The relation between job stress and job type showed statistical significance (p<0.05). The relation between job stress and diseases showed statistical significance in musculoskeletal disorders(p<0.05), heart disease, and gastrointestinal disease. The correlations between work ability and job stress showed statistical significance in job demand and social support(p<0.05). The result of this study could be useful to manage the work ability of aging worker and the job stress in industry.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.345-351
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• 2024

Background: A decrease in physical fitness with age can impact work ability. Exploring the role of physical fitness is important for identifying interventions to enhance work ability among aging workers. We sought to determine the association between physical fitness and physically demanding work ability in aging workers. Methods: We recruited workers aged 45-65 years from eight departments of a university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Work ability was assessed using the work ability index (WAI), and physical fitness components were evaluated through various tests. Associations between work ability and physical fitness were examined using a multivariable regression analysis. Results: The response rate was 46.4% (n = 216). The mean WAI score was 41.6. Participants with an overweight or obese body mass index (BMI) had 1.8 (95% CI -3.1, -0.4) points lower WAI scores than did those within a healthy BMI range. A handgrip strength test revealed that participants in the good/very good group had 2.5 (95% CI: 0.6, 4.3) higher WAI scores than did those in the very poor/poor group. For a single-leg stance test, participants in the above-average group had 2.1 (95% CI: 0.7, 3.5) points greater WAI scores than did those in the below-average group. No significant associations were found between work ability and 3-min step, chair stand, or sit-and-reach test scores. Conclusion: The overall work ability of the participants was good. Body composition, muscle strength, and balance were associated with work ability. Promoting physical fitness is a viable strategy for enhancing work ability among aging workers.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2019

Background: This descriptive study aimed to examine the relationship between the 4C core competencies and work ability among dental hygienists. Methods: From November 2018 to January 2019, data were collected-from 190 dental hygienists workong in dental clinics in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam province using structured questionnaires. For the general characteristics of the dental hygienists, frequency and percentage were calculated, and the level of the 4C core competencies and work ability of dental hygienists was calculated using means and standard deviations. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to analyze the effects of the 4C core competencies on work ability. Results: The mean scores for the 4C core competency levels of the dental hygienists were as follows: communication ability 3.34, critical thinking ability 3.41, creative problem-solving 3.40, and collaborative self-efficacy 3.27. Meanwhile the mean score for work ability level was 3.65. The predictive factors influencing work ability were communication ability and cooperative self-efficacy (p<0.001), and the sub-factors of critical thinking ability that affect work ability were sound conferences (p<0.01), intellectual fairness (p<0.05), intellectual enthusiasm (p<0.05), and self-confidence (p<0.001). Finally, the sub-factors of creative problem-solving ability that affect work ability were planning and execution (p<0.01) and performance evaluation (p<0.05). Conclusion: The current study showed that education programs covering the core competencies of dental hygienists, rather than the existing theoretical education program, should be developed and implemented to enhance 4C core competencies that affect work ability.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.104-111
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• 2022

Background: The IMPPAC cohort (Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial aspects and work ability among Brazilian workers) seeks to understand the impact of the pandemic on Brazilian workers. This article describes the occupational profile, psychosocial aspects, and work ability determined during the baseline and follow-up measurements of the cohort. Methods: Workers were invited to participate through media advertisements, social networks, and emails. From June to September 2020, 1211 workers were included in the cohort. Follow-up measurements finished on October 2021 with 633 workers. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires using Google Forms. Psychosocial aspects were assessed using the COPSOQ II-Br. Work ability was assessed using the Work Ability Index (WAI). Results: At baseline and follow-up, high proportion of workers were in the risk zone with regard to work pace, emotional work demands, influence on work, work-family conflict, burnout, and stress. Approximately 75% of the workers reported good to excellent work ability at baseline and follow-up. Conclusion: The occupational profile, psychosocial aspects, and work ability of Brazilian workers from the IMPPAC cohort were described. Psychosocial aspects and WAI were similar at baseline and follow-up.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.129-135
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• 2014

In recent studies, construction industry workers with higher job stress and lower work ability were more likely to experience accidents at their workplace. Likewise, fatal accidents rate was higher among simple labor workers compared to technical workers. Therefore the evaluation of a worker's job stress and work ability seems to be important in preventing the occurrence of fatal accidents. To search for ways to reduce job stress and to improve work ability, the current study conducted a job stress analysis based on age, years of service, skill level, hobbies, sleep patterns, and monthly income. For this, the Korean occupational stress questionnaire short form and the Work Ability Index (WAI) developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) were used. In this study, SPSS 12.0K statistics program was used for statistical analysis and significance was verified by the Kruskal-Wallis test and non-parametric tests. The results of this study can be summarized as follows : (1) Simple labor workers had higher job stress and less work ability than technical workers. (2) The more experienced workers had lower job stress and higher work ability. (3) In the case of workers who slept a lot, work ability was higher and job stress was less. (4) Monthly income influenced on the job stress and work ability. (5) Job stress and work ability in accordance with the age difference was not significant.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.20 no.3 s.71
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• pp.197-201
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate the work ability of employees using the work ability index(WAI) and to confirm factors affecting the work ability of employees in the Korean machinery industry. In this study, correlations between the WAI score and variables affecting the work ability of employees(age, the class of the employee's position the character of the work and the type of the work) were analysed by the correlation analysis. The study population was consisted of employees from Korean machinery industry(n=446) and the WAI questionnaire was more or less modified considering actual circumstances in Korean. The WAI score of entire employees was slightly high (WAI score=42, Level=Good) and the WAI score of employees under 29 years of age was slightly higher than that of employees over 30 years of no. As a result of one-way ANOVA and correlation analysis, the character of the work and the type of the work were variables affecting the WAI score and the WAI score of physical/mental workers was higher than that of physical workers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.101-105
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• 2010

According to the Korea National Statistical Office data in 2008, the population over ages of 65 years would possess to 10.7% whole population of Korea in 2009 denoting Korea is already in the aging society. It is well-known that the possibility to work longer and to live better is highly related to the work ability of individuals. The objective of this study is to evaluate the work ability of each aged group using the Work Ability Index(WAI) in the shipbuilding industry, machinery industry and Korea housing corporation, and to assess the effect of the type of business, age and job on the WAI score. The results showed that no significant difference was identified on the effect of aging although work ability of some group(over 55 years) was a little higher than that of others. Also, type of business and job had a significant effect on WAI score. These results suggested that the work ability is not necessarily related to aging in Korean society. One possible explanation for this might be different cultural characteristics of Korean society.